


The Rise of the Vestige

by Maz_Cat



Category: Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Fantasy, Furry, The Elder Scrolls Online - Freeform, the elder scrolls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26276053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maz_Cat/pseuds/Maz_Cat
Summary: With the dragonfires going dark, three factions fighting for control of Cyrodiil, and a daedric invasion in Tamriel this Imperial Khajiit has a lot on his plate.
Kudos: 1





	1. Soul Shriven in Coldharbour

Our story begins with a recent sacrifice to Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of domination and the enslavement of mortals. The sacrifice is a Cathay Khajiit who has just woken up. His first thought is “Where am I?” as his vision begins to clear. He looks around and realizes he’s not in Nirn anymore but Coldharbour, Molag’s plane of Oblivion. He runs to the cell door, pushing and pulling the bars with all his might but it’s no use. He scans the area for another way to escape but the only way out that he can see is the door. Just as he’s about to try again he hears a voice outside his cell.  
“Whoa, there! Are you all right? The name's Lyris.” Before his eyes is a tall fair skinned fair haired Nord woman. As he gazes at the statue of Lyris, she proceeds to smash the lock open. "I hope you've still got some fight left in you. You're going to need it." She says as the Khajiit comes to his senses and follows her.  
“Wait!” he shouts, “I have so many questions!”  
"I'm sure you do; we should keep moving." She says as she pushes forward.  
“My name is Malpenius!” says the Khajiit. Lyris examines a nearby dead Dremora  
"Dead. Must have been the runt of the litter. Pick up its sword.” Malpenius proceeds to pick up the greatsword and continues to follow her. "Keep your weapon ready and stay sharp. This place is full of surprises."  
“I know, I’ve read a few books.” He says. As they continue through the dark tunnels, another Dremora Churl bursts out of the ground. Both of them hack and slash at it, blocking and evading its attacks whenever they can. Lyris and Malpenius move into a larger room.  
"Keep moving! There are more Daedra on the way! Let's keep moving!" she urges. As he’s running, he sees three Soul Shriven prisoners trying to keep a door closed while something large pummels it from the other side. Malpenius rushes to help but as he approaches, the Argonian shouts  
"Don't stop, now. Keep moving! More guards are on the way!" Lyris says  
"Let's go!" in agreement as she beckons to Malpenius. As they enter a room filled with a number of torture cages, a Dremora Kynval appears. The Kynval strikes hard against Malpenius block but only ends up disorientating himself and Malpenius strikes back just as hard, knocking the Kynval off-balance. As soon as they finish off the Kynval, they’re immediately confronted by a Dremora Kyngald, who begins to cast a spell. Malpenius rushes to the Kyngald and hits her with the hilt of his sword, catching her off-guard. He takes advantage of the opportunity and strike her hard enough for her to hit the ground.  
"Let's get out of here, my friend." Say Lyris as she makes break for the Bleeding Forge. When they approach the door, a glowing rune appears before them and a ghostly figure appears.  
“The Prophet!" says Lyris. Malpenius looks at Lyris in confusion before focusing his attention on what this strange figure has to say. "Greetings, Vestige. Like you, I am a prisoner in this place. You must rescue me. And I, in turn, must rescue you." As he disappears Malpenius can’t help but mouth the words “What the hell?” as Lyris stands by the door.  
"Hold a moment. Come here, we need to talk." She says as Malpenius agrees and goes to her. "The Prophet! He's a prisoner here, too. It was very dangerous for him to speak to you, even for a moment. He must think you can help me."  
“What do I need to do to help you?” he asks  
"Break him out, of course! Believe me, I can use all the help I can get. That blind old man is the only person alive who can help us get back home. Tamriel's a long way from here."  
“Where does this door lead, exactly?”  
"These tunnels will eventually take us to the Towers of Eyes. That's where we'll find the Sentinels."  
“Molag Bal’s magical constructs? Is it true that they’re connected?”  
“If we destroy one, the others will be blinded. with any luck, that will buy us the time we need to free the Prophet."  
“And how exactly do we destroy these things, if I might ask.”  
"I've no idea. Brute force? We'll find a way. We have to. Be ready for anything. I doubt Molag Bal left the Sentinels unguarded."  
“I still have questions.”  
“I'll answer them as best I can.”  
“You seem to know this “Prophet”, who is he?”  
"He's a strange one, no doubt about it, but he's the wisest man I've ever met. He sees things. The past, the future."  
“Do you know how I got here? Because I don’t remember.”  
“Well … there is no easy way to say it. You're dead." Malpenius is more than little shaken up about this revelation.  
“Then, how are we having this conversation? Are you dead, too?”  
"No, I wasn't sacrificed. The Prophet and I were brought here … conventionally, if that makes any sense. But we're prisoners here, same as you."  
“If I'm dead, who killed me then?”  
“A man named Mannimarco. His Worm Cult is doing some kind of ritual back in Tamriel. They sacrificed you, and everyone in this prison, to the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. After you died, whatever was left showed up here. They call you the Soul Shriven."  
“Soul Shriven? What does that mean?”  
"It means you're a slave and you'll spend the rest of eternity here in Coldharbour, working under the lash of the Daedra. Unless of course, you come with me."  
“How can we rescue this, Prophet?”  
"It won't be easy. The place is watched by the Sentinels. We won't stand a chance unless we can blind them. I'll tell you more when we get there. And we'll never get there if we don't get moving."  
“I understand, we should keep moving.” He says as he follows Lyris into the tunnels. They enter the forge and come across a Dremora known as Vaekar the Forgemaster holding a soul shriven by the neck. He throws the shriven hard enough into a spike to impale him, killing him instantly, and he attacks them. He unleashes quick strikes, lava whips, and heat waves but they’re not enough to save him from the two prisoners.  
"Well played, friend! Arkay's beard, you're good in a fight!" Lyris say to Malpenius enthusiastically as he covers the lower half of his face, pretending to blush. Malpenius smile quickly fades when he hears the Prophet in his head, "The God of Brutality knows of your escape. Hurry!".  
“Molag is aware!” Malpenius says in obvious horror as he runs further into the tunnel and for the door that leads to the Towers of Eyes. When Malpenius is about to run for it, Lyris grabs his arm and stops him.  
"The God of Schemes can see every part of Coldharbour. We need to distract him."  
“O-Okay. You’re right” he says shakenly. As they approach one of the Sentinels, Lyris says  
"Try to be inconspicuous. We just got free of this place. The last thing we need is to get recaptured. I'll keep watch." Malpenius cautiously sneaks up the ramp, trying his best to avoid attention. Not even a minute later he hears Lyris shout  
"What was your name again? Target practice?"  
he looks over his shoulder to see that a Daedra saw Lyris, attacked her, and more are coming. Malpenius tries to pick up the pace but Lyris isn’t helping matters by shouting "Come get some more, you skeeving horkers!" He makes it to the top where the Sentinel is and notices that its one eye has a light emanating from it allowing it to see clearly. He learns the pattern of the eye, he’s so silent when he sneaks that the Sentinel doesn’t even know he’s there even though he’s right up on it. He takes his sword and swings with all his might that it shatters in one strike. He runs down to the bottom of the ramp and sees Lyris with multiple Dremora corpses around her as she remarks  
"That might have been a fair fight if there were three of you!"  
He gently pats her shoulder; she quickly turns around ready to strike. Malpenius raises his hands to show he means no harm.  
"Who taught that one to fight? The God of Self-Punishment?" says Lyris as she chuckles at her own joke. She stops laughing when she realizes the Sentinel is blinded  
"Quickly, while he's blinded, we must get to the Prophet's Cell. The Prophet's enclosure isn't far. Let's go!" she says as she runs for cell while Malpenius tries to keep up. As they’re nearing the door, it bursts into a glowing blue arcane fire, and Molag Bal himself says:  
"Fool! You will never escape my realm."  
"Herma-Mora's wagging tongue!” Lyris exclaims “The door's warded. We'll never get in this way. Damn it! Destroying the Sentinel must have triggered these wards. We'll need to find another way in. Hmm. Maybe Cadwell can help us."  
“Cadwell, is he another friend of yours?” Malpenius asks  
"Cadwell is the oldest of the Soul Shriven. After years of torment, Soul Shriven usually go insane and turn feral, but not Cadwell. He was already insane before he left Tamriel. Mad as a box of frogs, but completely harmless. You'll see."  
“One question; how is a madman going to help us?”  
"Cadwell sees things as he wishes them to be. To him, Coldharbour is a wondrous place. It's his home. And he knows it like the back of his hand. He's usually down by the river. Let's go find him."  
As they follow the river downstream, Lyris says "Cadwell's a legend among the Soul Shriven. In Tamriel he was mocked and dismissed. Here, he's respected. He's an odd duck, no question, but he knows all the secret paths of Coldharbour.". They find a small gathering of Soul Shriven by a campfire, surrounding another Soul Shriven with a pot on his head as he plays the lute, singing a nonsensical song. The pot Soul Shriven joyfully greets the two  
"Hello, what's this? Out for a stroll, then? Lovely day for it." Malpenius looks at him for a few moments before saying  
“You must be Cadwell.”  
"Sir Cadwell, yes indeed. A pleasure! And fair Lyris! Good to see you m'dear! How are you, then?"  
“The door to the Prophet’s cell is sealed, we can’t get inside.”  
“Oh dear, oh dear. Well that is inconvenient, isn't it? Tell you what—I happen to know another way in! Much more of a scenic route. Rather a fun little jaunt, actually. Full of traps, and corpses, and nasty beasties filling up the bits in between." Malpenius shoots Lyris a concerned look before turning back to Cadwell.  
“And how are we supposed to get through all that?”  
“Rather cautiously, I expect. Watch your step, hold your nose, and do mind the traps. There'll like as not be a fair dose of running and skull-bashing as well." He looks back at Lyris as she gives a nod of approval. Malpenius signs as he hunches over for a minute “Alright, where do we go?”  
"Follow the river. You'll find the door to the Undercroft at the water's end. Once you're inside, stick to the light and you'll find a ladder that will take you right up to the Prophet, straightaway. Do give him my best!". As Lyris and Malpenius walk away they hear “Best of luck. Do check in now and again, won't you?" when Cadwell is out of hearing range, Lyris remarks  
"Cadwell seems to think this Undercroft is a delightful place. That probably means it's a death trap. We'd better be careful." As she runs down the river with Malpenius trying to follow. Once they reach the door, they come to find that it’s locked, thankfully Malpenius has some lockpicks on him. As he’s picking the lock Lyris impatiently remarks  
"The sooner you get that door open, the sooner we can get out of here." Malpenius gives her a glare and she immediately shuts up as he continues to pick. Less than a minute later the door’s unlocked and they enter the Undercroft.  
"This place stinks of death and decay." Says Lyris, Malpenius is no stranger to the smell and tolerates it better than she does. As they head forward, a skeletal warrior digs its way out of the ground. They dispatch it and continue forward, taking care to avoid the numerous flamethrower traps lining the walls. They traverse their way through the winding tunnels and pools of water until they reach a staircase leading up to the Prophet's Cell. As soon as they enter the cell, Lyris exclaims:  
"The Prophet's cage should be just ahead. Quickly now! We haven't much time." and runs ahead. "All right. The good news is, we made it here in one piece and the Prophet looks unharmed. Now the bad news. It's going to be up to you to keep him safe and get him back to Tamriel. I'm not going with you."  
“What, what do you mean?”  
"There's a trick to opening the cell. The only way for a prisoner to leave is for another living soul to take their place. I need to swap places with the Prophet."  
“Is there no other way?”  
"Believe me, I wish there was. But … I don't see anyone else here with a beating heart, do you? If Molag Bal isn't stopped he'll destroy everyone and everything we've ever loved." Malpenius lowers his head in contemplation and speaks up  
“I'm ready when you are.”  
"Once it's done, get moving. The Prophet will know where to go, but he'll need your eyes, and your protection." He follows her to reach a vast cavern housing a number of spiked rock formations, piles of spent Soul Gems, and pools of Azure Plasm. At the center of the room is a large ritual circle, above which the Prophet hangs in a magical force-field. Malpenius readies his sword, prepared to defend Lyris. As soon as Lyris starts the transfer, two Dremora Baunekyns arrive. He defeats one and its essence flies off to feed a Dark Pinion to the north. He rushes over to it and disables it and he repeats the steps with the other Baunekyn. When the second Pinion lowers to the floor, the exchange begins to take place. Lyris is raised off the floor and catapulted towards the center of the chamber, while at the same time, the Prophet is ejected from his cell.  
The two pass through each other mid-way, before the Prophet collapses on the floor in front of Malpenius. He sees Lyris imprisoned inside the force-field, his expression turns somber as doesn’t know how to free her. The Prophet exclaims: "Freedom! I remember this feeling. It will be fleeting though, if Molag Bal has his way." Malpenius goes to the Prophet’s side and helps him up and support himself on his staff. "Thank the Divines, you are safe!” say the Prophet “There is that, at least. Lyris sacrificed everything, that we might go free. Her sacrifice must not be in vain."  
“We have to take her with us!”  
"I wish that were possible. But I promise you, once we escape Coldharbour we will find a way to rescue her together, Vestige."  
“Why do you keep calling me “Vestige”? I already have a name.”  
"That is the name I have given you. You are but a trace of your former self. A soulless one. An empty vessel that longs to be filled. It is as the Scrolls foretold, but not exactly as I imagined."  
“Are you really a Prophet?”  
"That is what I have come to be called. My true name is lost—even to me. Years of torment have taken their toll. Quickly now, we must make haste to the Anchor!"  
“Anchor? What Anchor?”  
"The Anchors are Daedric machines of the darkest magic. Their chains bind our world and pull it towards Coldharbour. I can use one of these Anchors to return us to Tamriel, but you must lead me to it."  
“I see…Take my hand and stay close.” The Prophet does just that  
"Up the stairs, quickly! We must get to the anchor mooring!"  
They head to the far side of the room, up the stairs, through the tunnel, and into The Anchor Mooring.  
"There it is!” The Prophet exclaims “The Dark Anchor Mooring." Suddenly, Molag Bal appears before them from the Anchor Mooring and bellows: "A mortal thinks it can defy me. Futile. Soon your world will be in my chains." before disappearing and summoning the Child of Bones. The Prophet runs ahead and says:  
"Come, I will protect you!"  
During the battle, the bone colossus primarily uses melee attacks and Malpenius either blocks or evades almost all of them. Once the colossus has been defeated, the Prophet calls to Malpenius:  
"A moment, Vestige. The Dark Anchor's portal is high above us. I will prepare a spell to lift us to it. But first you must re-attune yourself to Nirn in order to regain your physical form. To do this, you will need a skyshard."  
“What the hell is a “skyshard”?”  
"A shard of Aetherial magicka that carries the essence of Nirn. Some link them to Lorkhan, the missing god of creation. If you collect and absorb its power, it should restore your corporeal form. I will summon one of these shards for you to absorb." Malpenius shakes his arms and head, preparing himself and he says with a determined look:  
“I'm ready.”  
The Prophet stands before the anchor mooring, raises his staff, and begin his summon:  
"Shard of Aetherius, fall upon us now and anoint us with your blessing." As the Skyshard appears before Malpenius, he says “There. Quickly! Collect the Skyshard." As he collects the skyshard, a beam of light engulfs him and levitates him briefly from the ground. Then, a blinding light fills the room and the Prophet begins his ritual “Great Akatosh, Dragon God of Time! I require your strength! Let the way be opened! Let these wandering souls return home! Let the will of Molag Bal be denied!" When the ritual is complete, the entire anchor mooring fizzles with lightning and a large rift opens up at the top. "Hurry!” The Prophet yells “We must go now." and runs forward up the staircase. As he reaches the top, the anchor levitates him up from the ground and into the portal. Malpenius follows him, and escapes to Tamriel. Malpenius awakens next to a ghostly Prophet, who remarks “The Vestige awakens, once again. Come here, we must speak. As I feared, we arrived in different locations. I am in a place with the smell of burning ash on a hot wind, and the sounds of a distant battle. It matters not. You have awakened once again, and we must set you on your path.”  
“Wait. How long was I unconscious?”  
"Days? Weeks? I cannot tell. The voyage between worlds disrupted all sense of time and space. I know only that you were deposited into the sea, and some charitable soul fished you out and brought you to dry land."  
“Do you know who it was? What do I do now?”  
"I'm afraid you will have to decide that for yourself. I must focus on searching for a way to repay Lyris' bold sacrifice. I cannot simply abandon her to the wrath of Molag Bal."  
“Do you know when I’ll see you again?”  
"I cannot foresee that. Not yet. But we will meet again. There is still much we need to accomplish. Be wary, Vestige. Our very plane of existence is in peril. The threat of Molag Bal looms across all Tamriel, and chaos spreads in its shadow. Danger roams the land and will assume many forms. Do not let it catch you off-guard."  
“Do you know where I should go?”  
"You must find your own path. But perhaps there is a reason for the place in which you find yourself. Explore. Search for a cause to lend your hand. Join with others. You might even seek out those who rescued you from the sea. The choice is yours."  
“Do you think there are others who need my help?”  
"Indeed. I sense that even now there are good people near you who face grave danger. They need your assistance should you be willing to give it. To thwart the will of Molag Bal, we must skirmish with evil wherever it rears its head."  
“Who will join me?”  
"We do not face these troubled times alone. Many shall rise up to fight this tide of darkness. Wherever you go, you will encounter others who share your courage and valor. Help them if you can and enlist their aid if you have need of it." The Prophet then disappears and Malpenius is left thinking “I’m in an unknown land with no one to help me. I should go and make some friends here.”


	2. A Beginning at Bleakrock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malpenius awakes in a strange new land with no idea how he got there or who saved him.

As soon as Malpenius leaves the room he awoke in, he hears a female Dunmer.  
"You're the one Holsgar pulled out of the water. I'm glad you're up. I could use your help."  
“Who are you? Who’s Holsgar?”  
"The fisherman who found you washed up on the beach. He brought you back to town. It's a miracle you survived. I’m Captain Rana, I'm short on good help, and I could use someone capable. Someone like you."  
“With all due respect, sera, this is the first time we’ve met. What do you know about me?”  
"You've seen combat, and I need all the help I can get today. Villagers are scattered across the island. We need to warn them."  
“Warn them? About what?”  
"We sighted a ship offshore. I've sent my troops to investigate. If it's the vanguard of an invasion ... well, we'll need to evacuate."  
“Do I need to stand in the middle of town and shout my lungs out?”  
"You'll find the people of Bleakrock all across the island. Darj, the hunter, went to Skyshroud Barrow. Eiman's out at Orkey's Hollow with his sister, Rolunda. Seyne, my sergeant, is out at Hozzin's Folly."  
“Skyshroud Barrow let me guess, it’s not a typical Nord tomb.”  
"It's an old dragon shrine. It's a relic of the Dragon Wars. Some of the villagers claim they saw undead out there. I sent Darj out to get proof."  
“And he hasn’t come back yet. What can you tell me about Orkey’s Hallow?”  
"Locals claim it's haunted. They dare each other to spend a night inside. It's a silly custom, but a harmless one."  
“Is it though, And Hozzin’s Folly?”  
"It's an abandoned mine. A family came out from Stonefalls to work the place. Rumor has it they're Daedra worshippers. Now some bandits are hunting through the place, and we need to know why."  
“If they’re playing with the Daedra nothing good can come from it.” He thinks it over for a moment and answers:  
“I’m going to Hozzin’s Folly.”  
"Thank you, friend. Once you've dealt with the bandits and sent Seyne back here, see who else you can find."  
“Do you have time for questions?”  
"I'll answer what I can. Captain Tillrani's got the villagers thinking I'm an addled netch, but I'm actually a bit smarter than that."  
“Why does the captain think so little of you?”  
"I took her job. You might have heard her yelling about that in the square. It's petty, but what can I do? Every time I've reached out to her, she's slapped my hand."  
“Why are you here, exactly?”  
"Posted to this backwater, you mean?”  
“Yes, that’s what I meant.”  
“I made a hasty decision, a bad call. Soldiers died. I learned my lesson. Now I don't act without proof."  
“How about the races of the Ebonheart Pact?”  
"I'm not a scholar, but I'll tell you what I know."  
“What do you think of Nords?”  
"I like Nords. Most Nords I've met are strong of arm and heart. I call them the proud spine of the Pact. I'm also more comfortable behind their swords than in front of them."  
“I understand that. What about your people?”  
“Other than our beauty, brains, and rapier wit? We proudly work to enact the will of the Tribunal, our living gods. If the Nords are the heart of the Pact, and the Argonians are the soul, the Dark Elves are the brains.”  
“Should I even ask about the Saxhleel?”  
"The Argonians are a mystery to me. The ones I've met keep to themselves. Good scouts, I'll give them that. Not long ago, the Dunmer held them as slaves. That ended with the founding of the Pact. Now we're all best friends."  
“’Best friends” is stretch, I think. I have no more questions, so I’m off.”  
He goes to the ground level, takes a map, and goes out the front door to Bleakrock Village, the main village on Bleakrock Isle. He looks at the map and marks the three destinations, Hozzin’s Folly is north-west. He’s approached by a Nord he’s never met.  
"Eh. Good to see you again, mate."  
“Do I know you? You act as if I know you.”  
"You were unconscious at the time. I found you by the shore and brought you back to town. Mathor's been clucking over you since. So. What happened to you? Shipwreck?"  
“You wouldn’t believe me.”  
"I've been drinking stout all day. If you told me you were Akatosh come to grant my wishes, I might just believe it. We have a sailing caravel. If it comes back, you can take it back to the mainland."  
Malpenius knows Holsgar isn’t going to let the question go so he lies:  
“Yes. I was shipwrecked. That's it.” Holsgar doesn’t believe it and knows he’s hiding something.  
Malpenius rolls his eyes and says:  
“Fine, but we should go somewhere quiet and less crowded.” Holsgar takes him to the mill, where no one can see or hear them. Malpenius finally spills the beans.  
“I was sacrificed to Molag Bal against my will. I literally went to Oblivion and back, now I’m soulless.”  
"You seem spry for a soulless corpse. What does that mean? We don't need our souls? Aw, stout always gets me philosophical. I should stick to mead." Malpenius buries his face in his hands  
“What should I do?”  
"Ha! I should know? Follow your heart and keep off the skooma, I suppose. Seriously, I'd get your soul back. I bet it's important.  
“I haven’t felt the same since I lost it. I feel empty and unfulfilled, I haven’t felt that way in years.” He lifts his head and sees that Holsgar is starting to feel bummed out, so he changes the subject.  
“So, what do you do, are you a miller?”  
"I'm the miller. This big windmill? Mine. Not that I often have work. Nothing much grows here. Every month or so we load our caravel with fish and trade them for grain in Solitude. It's not efficient to mill it here, but it is cheap."  
“Ah, I see. Thank you for your time…and…believing me.” They both exit the mill, Holsgar heads back to Bleakrock Village and Malpenius decides to procure a more fitting weapon and armor. He returns to the village and sees a Nordic-style longhouse with no doors or windows; it looks like a trading hall of some sort. He goes in and finds a Nord women selling her wares at a shop called The Hot Iron.  
"Ah, our mysterious guest.” She says to Malpenius “My husband Holsgar was the one who found you. Strangest thing—your clothes weren't wet when we found you. If you're looking to buy supplies, you've come to the right place."  
“Huh.” Malpenius says “I didn’t know Holsgar was married. I was ordered by Rana to scope the island. If you have any, I need a destruction staff and some medium armor.” She goes to a table behind her and grabs an inferno staff, a rawhide helmet, a rawhide jack, and a pair of rawhide boots all of which are basic and in the Nord style. She asks for 153 drakes and Malpenius doesn’t even have one. He asks her to write down the price and her name on a piece of parchment so that he can pay her back later. She grumbles a bit but ultimately agrees and does so. He looks at the paper and learns her name’s Maesa. He thanks her for the equipment and follows the map to Hozzin’s Folly. He arrives just outside Hozzin's Folly and sees another Dunmer in similar armor to Rana, he approaches her.  
"Watch yourself. There are bandits about."  
“I know, Rana sent me.”  
"That's refreshing. Most days, it's just Rana and me against the world. We have some work to do. That cursed ship is the least of our worries.” She says, “Bandits are plundering the mine, looking for artifacts."  
“Rana told me that the artifacts might be Daedric. Anything to report?”  
"They're alert, looking for something. Had to kill the one behind me he warned the others."  
“What do you need me to do?”  
"How are you at subterfuge?” Malpenius gives her a wolfish grin, this isn’t his first time and it won’t be the last.  
“I'll stay here and keep an eye on these bandits. Take the uniform from our friend here. Then get down into the mine shacks and see what's going on."  
“You want me to rip the clothes off a dead person I don’t even know so I can backstab people I don’t even know and pretend to be someone I’m not?” he chuckles “It’s like I’m a teenager all over again.” He disguises himself, looking like a Frostedge Bandit. He starts to stroll into the village when Seyne stops him to warn him that the bandits have sentries and they will know he doesn’t belong. He thanks her for the tip and proceeds to find information about what’s going on. He patiently waits for the sentries nearby to move just far enough that he can learn more without being detected. He finds a cracked rune ward stone, which tells him that there were spellcasters here as none of the bandits look like they can use magic. Next, he stumbles upon a scroll and reads it; it’s a contract scroll:  
The Frostedge Pillagers are hereby engaged to find relics of power in Hozzin's Folly and bring them to General Serien, payment to be dependent upon the nature of what is found. Down payment in gold has been offered and accepted. Be sure to warn your scouts: the cultists used an old Nord tomb as their worship space. Those hairy bastards love to set traps in their burial mounds. Expect some flame traps. Or sword blades. Or flaming sword blades. Cause as much trouble as you like, the more the better. Kill anyone you meet.  
Now he knows that the spellcasters are cultists, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they were Daedric cultists, so he keeps looking while still avoiding sentries and trying to act natural.  
Finally, he finds a book called Dark Ministrations and reads it a bit; one particular section stands out to him:  
This old tomb is the perfect place to practice our craft. No one will venture down here past the mine. The offerings are complete. The Lady of Nightmares has opened the way. We've been given our own small pocket of this sacred realm. Construction begins tonight to create a suitable temple in Her honor .... Once the temple is complete, we expect the realm will expand soon. The Unspeakable Sigil's consecration went just as we had hoped. My son will live forever at Her side. Scamps, the smallest of Her children, are appearing in the temple and deep in the mine. This can only be a sign of Her love and favor! However, I had expected our pocket of Oblivion to be twice the size it is now. Is the Lady displeased with us? Some of us have hatched a plan to sacrifice more of the faithful. Surely that will capture Her attention and earn our just reward!  
As soon as Malpenius reads “The Lady of Nightmares” he immediately knows that Daedric worship took place here and has enough information to try and get into the mine. He proceeds to the mine northwest of the village, knocks on the door, and talks to a bandit within.  
"Get lost." The bandit says. Malpenius disguises his voice to sound like a simpleton:  
“Boss wants relic check!” He says  
"Quick, come inside! We've almost made it past the scamps. I heard them say the portal is just beyond." “A portal?” he thinks to himself “Now they’ve gone too far.” When Malpenius gets inside, the bandit realizes that he’s not who he thought he was:  
"Who are you?” the bandit asks “Please, don't hurt me. Guards! Intruder!" he tries to run away to the right and is incinerated by the fire trap in the corridor. The path within the mine is pretty much linear, and he still has to sneak past sentries. Malpenius moves carefully as he proceeds to the center room.  
In there, he finds a Portal to Oblivion, being guarded by a scamp. He quickly kills the scamp and goes through the portal. He’s in a plane of Oblivion but he doesn’t know which one. He finds himself in a hallway that leads to a Daedric temple filled with scamps. Within the temple is a Sigil, which he must destroy. It doesn’t take him long to kill the scamps. He destroys the Sigil and finds himself back in the mine. He heads outside where Sergeant Seyne is awaiting his return.  
"So, what did you find out?" she asks  
“It’s worse than I thought. The Daggerfall Covenant contracted the bandits to steal a Daedric artifact.”  
"A Covenant contract? I smell a distraction. That ship we spotted might be the start of an invasion. We've got to get back to the village!"  
“Before we go, what do we do now?”  
"You found the evidence. The Covenant sent these bandits, and that means trouble. I'll head back and warn Captain Rana. You'll need to find as many missing people as possible."  
“Don’t worry, I’ll find them.” Seyne runs off but not before grumbling "Orc-loving Covenant cowards." There are a few soldiers standing by the entrance of the mine so Malpenius takes the opportunity to ask some questions:  
“Has Seyne been with Rana for long?”  
"She’s been her second-in-command since they arrived on the island.”  
“Ah…Do you know why they call this place Hozzin’s Folly?” another soldier speaks up:  
"I'm not entirely sure. It was named after a prospector who came out here with his family. They said they were mining for iron, but folks saw them wearing dark robes."  
“They were Daedric cultists, I’m surprised they were so obvious about it.”  
"That's the story. One day there was a fire, and the whole camp burned. Locals said they heard monsters roaring. The place has been boarded up ever since."  
“Thank you both for answering my questions. I need to move on.” His next destination is Orkey's Hollow which is more north than any other direction. He arrives at Orkey’s Hollow and is approached by a Nord woman.  
"Come to prove your courage?” she asks “So did my brother. Now he's gone."  
“Missing brother? Is his name Eiman by any chance?”  
“He’s inside this cave ... somewhere. The Frozen Man does all sorts of things to people who enter his domain. I can't leave Eiman in there. Since Father died and Mother left, he's all I have."  
“The…Frozen Man?”  
“He takes people who enter Orkey's Hollow. Now he's taken my brother. I should stop sharpening this blade. You must go inside. I just can't."  
“What can you tell me about Eiman?”  
"He drinks too much, fights too much, and doesn't have the sense Kyne gave a horker. He's the best cook on the island, though. Since Father died fighting the Akaviri, we've only had each other."  
“Stay where you are, I’ll get him back.”  
"We knew a man, Old Rory. He went in. When the soldiers dragged him out, he was missing all his bones. I'll give you until my fire burns out. Then I'm coming in after you."  
“Until then stay put, I’ll be in and out as soon as I can.” Malpenius enters the cave and as soon as the entrance tunnel opens up, he turns left and runs straight to the wall of ice. He sees Eiman buried deep within and is spoken to by the Frozen Man who wants to play a game with him.  
“This one's frozen!” The Frozen Man says, “Is it someone you know? Guess who I am, and I might let him go."  
“Let Eiman go.”  
"That's no fun! Go on, look around! Oh, and mind the bears. I never got around to changing them back." Malpenius thinks to himself “Who the hell does this guy think he is, Sheogorath?” He needs to figure out who the Frozen Man is by finding clues around the cave while being careful about the bears. As Malpenius proceeds further into the cave he hears:  
"Keep walking! There couldn't possibly be traps!" to his annoyance. He eventually finds an old campsite and searches the bedroll.  
"How rude! The Frozen Man exclaims “Digging through my things. What manners!" Then, he searches through a weathered bag, found beside the burnt-out campfire in the western tunnels. He finds a rune; he must be a mage. As he heads to the northern part of the cave he hears:  
"This is where I keep my friends. Go on. Introduce yourself." Malpenius can’t help but to stare at the ‘room’, wondering is these are truly inanimate objects or if they were once people. He interacts with a Daedric Vase, inadvertently summoning a ghost of one of the Frozen Man’s “friends”.  
"Tarak of the Silver Claw! Always joking. He's much happier as a vase.” Malpenius gently puts the vase back where it was and apologizes to the ghost for disturbing him. He tries to light the candelabra so he can light the way, only to summon another “friend”.  
"Doesn't Arawe look splendid? Always so shiny." Last in the room is a milk jug that he quickly pokes, nothing happens.  
"This is Oriell. We're brothers! I'm better looking." Before he leaves the room, he spots a journal decides to have a peek.  
"Leave that be! That's private!" Malpenius thinks to himself “What better way to find out someone’s identity than by reading through their journal?” he reads the entries:  
4th First Seed Bleakrock is as cold as they told us it would be. I can't believe people live here. I'll steal their secrets as quickly as I can. Then I'll return to the warmth of the woods.  
5th First Seed We have most of the information we need. The queen will be pleased. We'll leave tomorrow. I can't wait to thaw out my toes.  
??? I've been unconscious. How long was I out? The last thing I remember was the cave-in. Was it the Pact? Did they find us? Everyone else is dead, even Oriell. He fell in battle. I won't leave him to rot.  
??? Ever since the cave-in, magic gives me a headache. I can't dig out. There's too much rock. The only thing to eat is roots. What am I going to do?  
??? The roots were poisonous. Worse, I think they're hallucinogenic. I'm seeing my dead friends. Arawe. Tarak. Even Oriell. What's happened to my mind?  
Ice Day The squirrels are the problem. They caused the cave-in. They're in league with the shiny stones. I'll get them.  
Melting Day I found Arawe! A greedy squirrel had her. She turned into a candelabra. The squirrel's gone now, and she's back with me. I missed her. There's so many more to collect!  
Culling Day Greedy squirrels tried to take my friends. I made them into icicles.  
Not only does the book show the Frozen Man’s decent into madness, it clearly states that he’s a spy for a queen. Which one though? The last section of the cave is the eastern side.  
"Look up, greedy squirrel!” Malpenius looks up and sees a battered chest on top of a pillar of rocks “See something shiny? Don't break your neck!" He looks around and sees a place high enough that he can jump off from and reach the chest he has to do a bit of climbing, but he made a promise. He reaches the chest, opens it, and hears:  
"Astounding! You've accomplished the impossible! Leaping small rocks!"  
“Shut up!” he yells, getting fed up with the Frozen Man’s comments. As he searches the chest, he finds a dented helmet which matches those that belong to the Aldmeri Dominion. The mystery is solved, he backtracks to try and free Eiman.  
"Digging away! Puffy little cheeks. What have you found?" The Frozen Man asks as Malpenius makes his way back. When Malpenius’s face to face with him, the Frozen Man asks:  
"What have you got, clever squirrel? Do you have a guess? Have you any idea? Ooh, this is so exciting!"  
“Enough!” Malpenius snaps “You were an Aldmeri Dominion spy.”  
"A spy, am I? But why? Oh, my! You're a smart one. Whatever will I do with you?"  
“I played your dumb little game, now let Eiman go.”  
"That's no fun! Join me inside. We'll play a game of shells. Win, and you get Eiman. Lose, and you'll be my newest squirrel."  
“Are you kidd-!?” he takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. “Fine, one last game.”  
He enters the Frozen Man’s lair and finds that the Frozen Man summoned copies of himself and wants him to guess which one is the real Frozen Man.  
"Here I am! Or am I here? Guess wrong, and you're mine, my dear." He sees three projections and notices that only one is standing idly, so points to that projection. All three disappear and the Frozen Man whines "No fair!" as he runs away. Malpenius finds him and the Frozen Man tries to shoo him away:  
"Don't talk to me. I'm a shrub."  
“Let him go.”  
"Your soul is missing. Want mine? It's black and gooey."  
“I won both your games now let Eiman go!”  
"No. We're having old friends for supper. Drink some roots. Stay with us! You'll be safe here."  
“Safe from what, exactly?”  
“The stones! The shiny ones. They're pretty until you turn your back, and then ... whoosh! Skulls implode. Bones shatter."  
“Sounds like a cave-in.”  
"This is my safest place. My friends are here. Don't take them!"  
“I don’t want your stupid friends I just want Eiman!”  
"Want, want, want. Greedy squirrels. We wanted to leave here, but then? Shiny stones. I ate them after. They were cold. They hurt my teeth. Go away, little squirrel. Before the shiny stones find you.” Malpenius thinks for a moment to try to convince him to let Eiman go.  
“I’ll trade you this rune for Eiman.”  
"It gives me headaches! And it tastes like sawdust. Go on, you eat it." That didn’t work  
“Do you want me to hurt you? Cause I’ll be more than happy to do it.”  
"The shiny stones did that. The roots, the water, Oriell's three toes. I tried to save him, but his head wouldn't stop leaking. Now he's a milk jug."  
“Don’t you get it!? Eiman will die if he stays here!”  
"People don't die. They change shape, like Arawe. She's a candlestick. She's bright as the stars. And Tarak? He's never been happier." Malpenius tries to figure out how to word the situation so that the Frozen Man understands.  
“If people “change shape” you must be a bear trap.”  
"So?"  
“Do squirrels like to be caught in bear traps? I don’t think so.”  
"That's ... that's the first thing you've said that makes any sense. Fine, take Eiman. Just leave my friends alone. And don't blame me if the shiny stones get you."  
“Thank you!” Malpenius says as if weight had been lifted from his shoulders  
"Go, go on now! He's not frozen anymore." Malpenius makes his way back to the ice wall and sure enough, Eiman is alive and mostly well all things considering.  
"What happened?” Eiman asks “Did ... did you see those Covenant soldiers?"  
“There’s Covenant here?”  
"I saw a group of them exploring the cave. They laughed at me, hanging in the ice. Then the Frozen Man got them."  
“Right…We really should get you out of here.”  
"You don't have to tell me twice." Eiman runs towards the entrance and goes outside.  
"Rolly!” Eiman shouts “You came to save me!"  
You're lucky I came at all." Says Rolunda “We're going. Dumb ox."  
"You should've seen it, Rolly. The cave is incredible."  
"Don't call me Rolly."  
"He had treasures! He was child-sized, like an evil baby man."  
"Go in there again, and I'll leave you to rot." Rolunda looks at Malpenius "I swear, if he goes back to that cave again, I'm going to punch him in the throat." Malpenius gives a slight nod of approval. The next location is Skyshroud Barrow, so that’s where he goes.


End file.
